Hamilton police have charged a 42-year-old woman with a house fire and having entered and entered after a massive fire in the city center destroyed a historic building.
No one was injured in the blaze, which was first reported by the fire department at 6 a.m. Saturday, but destroyed 206 King Street W., a 100-year-old building that was the former site of Hamilton Store Fixtures. and a radio station.
Const. Indy Bharaj told CBC Hamilton when police arrived, witnesses said they saw someone jump out of the building while on fire.
“With a description and direction of the trip for the person provided by the witnesses, police were able to locate the woman on the roof of Jackson Square,” she said.
She was arrested that day and after further investigation, was charged, she said. She has since been released, Bharaj added, and will be available for trial at a later date.
The investigation is ongoing, but police are not aware of any other suspects at the moment, they said.
The cause of the fire is also being investigated.
Toronto developer Vernon Shaw, who turned the Pigott building in downtown Hamilton into condominiums, had a plan for the building.
Named the Radio Arts Building, the project was said to be 15-story and would include 117 units ranging from 450 square feet to 550 square feet. He also planned brick and beam offices and shops in front.
It is unclear how the fire could affect development.